Official Thread: 1st Gen Air Cooled HM Chat

Getting happier and happier of choosing a 1st Gen HM

It was a tough decision!

I have been a dirt bike rider since I was six. But fell in love to a Ducati machine for the first time in 1991 when I saw an article abot the 900SS and the legendary Massimo Tamburini 750 Paso. I could not afford a Duc on those days but the love seed was already planted, and when the hypermotard made its appearance last decade, I was convinced that the perfect motorcycle was born conceived by the genius of Pierre Terblanche.

I am the kind of guy who is so involved with work and everyday stuff, that misses a lot of things that happen around. So, when I finally got enough money to buy my HM this year, it came as a surprise to me to find out at the Ducati dealer that it was not the bike I had been dreaming on: Liquid cooled, wet clutch, more power but less torque, and the worst part: Not Pierre Terblanche's design.

I read all existing reviews of both HM generations in order to make a good decision. I finally took a stand considering that 1) This is my first Ducati, 2) The bike is intended to stick with me for many years, and 3) Nobody knows what will happen in the future, so if this was going to be my "only" Ducati, it had to be a legendary model.

So I started my quest looking for a 1st gen HM with low mileage and I found one: A 2008 1100S with 10,000 miles on it and in really good shape.

The only thing missing are the mirrors-handguards and it has a non OEM lower seat with a red stripe on it. The looks of the bike are better in my opinion with the original seat.

As I have some extra bucks left, I am investing in buying the DP handguards and mirrors, the original seat and some subtle mods trying to keep it as close as possible to the original design (Example: I love those exhaust pipes beneath the seat so I wont get a 2-1 exhaust system).

What is it you love the most of the 1st gen HM?

I would also like to make a question for the more experienced 1st Gen HM owners:

How far can you go with a full tank?
I am planning a trip and there is a 200 miles section without gas stations.
Is there a risk of not making it?

It could also serve as a sort of roll call to see how many followers of the one true Hyper are left.

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Good point and hopefully bring some of them back.

I would suggest however that no time or effort is spent bashing that other fine machine that shares a name and nothing else with our near perfect motorcycles.

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Thanks for bringing this up early on. I agree 110%.

I had hoped that with the arrival of the 4-valve there would be piles of 2-valve Hypers laying around for fans like me to pick up for a song. Didn't happen.

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Doesn't seem like it. From what I've seen and heard, the owners of these bikes are dedicated to them, understand them for what they are and have no reason to change because of it.

it is my goal to own one of each of the 2-valve Hypers.

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Spoken like a true HM enthusiast! That is quite the goal.

when the hypermotard made its appearance last decade, I was convinced that the perfect motorcycle was born conceived by the genius of Pierre Terblanche.

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I know exactly what you mean! To this day, there is not is not one particular bike out there that has lit such a burning fire inside me as the original Hyper has. I remember seeing one in the flesh for this first time at the Seattle IMS show and just feeling the adrenaline coming off it when looking at it. Don't get me started when I sat on it. I wasn't in the position at the time to own one but made it a life-long goal to. A few years later and I can now say that I've owned two!

I read all existing reviews of both HM generations in order to make a good decision. I finally took a stand considering that 1) This is my first Ducati, 2) The bike is intended to stick with me for many years, and 3) Nobody knows what will happen in the future, so if this was going to be my "only" Ducati, it had to be a legendary model.

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I understand where you're coming from and without a doubt say that you made the right decision. The first gen, arguably, is more legendary as you state with the dry clutch, air cooled design, full front and rear trellis frames etc.

I am investing in buying the DP handguards and mirrors, the original seat and some subtle mods trying to keep it as close as possible to the original design

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Good. When it comes to the factory mirrors/handguards, you either love them or hate them. There is no in between. For me, the foldout mirrors are one of the distinctive traits about the these bikes and without them just doesn't seem or look right.

I love those exhaust pipes beneath the seat so I wont get a 2-1 exhaust system).

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Aren't they one of the neatest factory exhaust systems?! The majority of bikes these days simply come with a big old ugly factory can that is simply there to serve a purpose with no design built into it. The factory exhaust on these bikes was actually built into the design of the bike! How often do you see that on bikes these days? Not often. Sometimes I do wish I had the factory system on mine just because it does look so cool! Call me crazy but I'm considering making a display of mine and putting the tail section inside the house and calling it "art."

What is it you love the most of the 1st gen HM?

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Good question. Well I wouldn't know where to start but I think the best way to answer it would be how it makes me feel. It gets my blood pumping like no other bike has done before.

How far can you go with a full tank?
I am planning a trip and there is a 200 miles section without gas stations.
Is there a risk of not making it?

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Not much over 100 miles. You will have to get a larger tank to go that distance between stations, without a doubt.

I'm just happy to see there are other first gen owners around that can offer advice and stories of their rides.

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Congrats on the new bike and hopefully before long you'll be able to share some stories of your own with the HM!

I come back here every couple months hoping for a sub forum for the air cooled hypers and no luck. I haven't posted in a couple years but much like everyone else I also came from a dirt/mx background. A coworker told me about the hyper and at first I wrote it off saying something like "who wants one of those maintenance hogs" a few days later after being pushed I went and looked at them and signed the papers on the bike the next day. I bought my Hyper new in 08 right after I got my sign on bonus for my first real engineering job out of college. It was the easiest $10,000 I ever spent and still feel was my best toy purchase. I still love the bike, I keep trying to find something better but have yet to. Just looking at in the garage still makes me get excited, even 6 years later.

I recently purchased a used 07 R6 and have mainly been riding that while the hyper sat. I wanted to see what the inline 4 thing was all about and possibly do some track days. I put about 3000 miles on the r6 then took the hyper for the first time in 9 months and man what a blast. The next day I went to the dealership (about 3 weeks ago) hoping they might have a leftover aircooled SP left. No luck. I hadn't really paid attention to the liquid cooled hypers but I sat on one and it felt slimmer and newer but the soul and specialness of the bike seemed to be gone. The dealership offered me a screaming deal on the bike but I had to walk away. The R6 is now for sale and the battery tender is off the hyper.

I think in Ducati's attempt to go mainstream they are starting to really leverage their name/legacy and less let the products sell themselves. Maybe it's the Audi ownership and German way of over engineering products and removing soul. Sure the latest Ducati's are awesome but they don't feel like they have the soul bikes of 5 years ago did. You go and read all the threads about bevel drive going away (before my time) and now dry clutches and the air cooled engines. I have a feeling the last of the big bore aircooled ducati's will appreciate relatively soon and be sought after in the future. Hopefully the new Scrambler is a step in the right direction but I have a feeling it's just going to be a bike more about the look and less about components.

I'm still trying to decide what I'm going to get to keep the hyper company. Do I go 500 exc, fz07 or some kind of comfortable adventure bike.

Still riding my '08 1100S as my daily rider.
Running the CA Cycleworks 6 gal tank, removed the handguards and run CRG Arrow mirrors. DP seat and rear rack. Everything else is pretty stock.

I probably have about 25k miles on it. I had intermittant dash and odometer issues due to a poorly routed wiring harness when I installed the tank leading to odo error. My fault and it took me a while to figure it out. I had an issue with a OBD light and some "fluffy" running, high idle. After a disappointing trip to the dealer, I ponied up the money for a Centurion and did my own "code breaking". It was a oil temp sensor code which led me to finding out that Ducati, in their greater wisdom, does not show sensors as anything other than a "sensor" in the shop or parts manuals. Finally found out which it was through a friend on the Bevelheads list. It was just a dirty connector, a problem reportedly common on some Monsters.

Just recently started leaving a few drops of oil on ocassion which appears to be a cam drive seal. Got the seal, may replace it this weekend.

I've owned 2V Ducatis from all the major generations. My first was a Darmah SS bought new in 1980 and sold just a couple years ago to buy a Bimota DB2. I've also owned a 750GT to fill out the bevels. I have a 750F1 to suit the Pantah-ists. Then an ST2, GT1000 and the HM1100S. Each passing line brings a bit of sadness but generally the replacement has been just a bit better.

Can't speak to newer Ducatis but I doubt I'll be buying anything newer anyway. Ducati seems to have lost their way and none of the new bikes really stir me.